The Good, The Great, and The Ugly of Giants LB Tremaine Edmunds' Game

The New York Giants were moving and shaking over the first day of free agency. They dipped into new head coach John Harbaugh’s former Ravens roster to look for replacements.

They signed tight end Isaiah Likely, punter Jordan Stout, and safety Ar’Darius Washington.

In addition to these new faces, the Giants also re-signed big free-agent right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor to a new three-year contract and fan-favorite receiver Isaiah Hodgins to a one-year contract.

However, the signing that will probably have the most impact on this team is former Chicago Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.

Edmunds agreed to a three-year, $36 million deal with the Giants on the first day of free agency. He replaces former middle linebacker and team captain Bobby Okereke, who was released by the team in an effort to add cap space.

Edmunds provides the Giants with another talent in his prime, with a chance to have his best seasons with Big Blue.

With Edmunds joining the roster, let’s take a look at what he does well and what he doesn’t.

The Good: Ability to Disrupt Passing Lanes

The Good of new #NYGiants middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds is his ability to disrupt passing lanes. pic.twitter.com/oexg7K1L2k
— Coach Gene Clemons (@geneclemons) March 12, 2026

Edmunds is 6-foot-4 and 251 pounds. He is long and rangy, which is perfect for a guy to get into passing lanes and disrupt the quarterback's flow.

Part of what makes Edmunds good at disrupting passes is his ability to read the quarterback. He understands how to drop into coverage quickly, mark his area, look at the quarterback, and adjust to where the quarterback is throwing the ball.

Then, he uses his long arms to get in the way and break up the pass. His large frame disrupts sight lines, and he does a good job of jumping into areas as the quarterback looks to pass the ball.

He also does a good job of colliding with receivers and carrying them so that he doesn't give the quarterback a window to drop the football into.

The Great: Playmaking Range

The Great of new #NYGiants middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds is his playmaking range. pic.twitter.com/eoVz2PdWOI
— Coach Gene Clemons (@geneclemons) March 12, 2026

Edmunds has the speed and explosiveness to make plays all over the field. Beyond defending passes, he’s a sideline-to-sideline ball hawk in the run game.

He uses his long legs and 4.5 speed to chase down ball carriers and erase mistakes from defenders who let a back get away.

His speed helps limit damage by backs who find a crease and reach the second or third level. He diagnoses plays quickly.

When you mix that with his athleticism and his ability to get ball carriers on the ground, it is no wonder that he is so effective as a playmaker.

The Ugly: Block Destruction

The Ugly for new #NYGiants middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds is that he struggles to detach from blockers at times. pic.twitter.com/MbJg4HBXDn
— Coach Gene Clemons (@geneclemons) March 12, 2026

If there's one area Edmunds still needs to improve, it's getting off the blocks.

At times, he can let linemen get a hold of him and move him off his spot. Other times, he cannot use his hands well enough to detach from a blocker.

Edmunds entered the league at 20 years old and thus relied on his athleticism rather than technique to win at times.

Over the years, this has created some inconsistent habits when it comes to taking on and defeating blockers.

He is really good at using his athleticism to win, but if he doesn't, he can run into trouble.

Coach's Corner

For whatever reason, Edmunds has never been a prolific tackler like some of the other high-level linebackers in the league.

He has not topped more than 121 tackles in a season, so it will be interesting to see him coming into a role with the Giants, where his predecessor, Bobby Okereke, had over 140 tackles in his final season with Big Blue.

Edmunds should not feel pressured to do it all on his own, but he will need to act as a sponge when teams test the Giants to see if they have really improved as a run-stopping unit.

During the offseason, he should work on his durability so he can play as many games as possible and show up when needed in a highly competitive NFC East.

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